Viral moment between NJ UPS driver and author boosts book sales
The interaction quickly gained traction online, with tens of millions of views and thousands of comments. Lewis said the attention directly translated into more than 9,000 copies sold since the video went viral, calling the impact life changing.
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A moment of kindness between a New Jersey UPS driver and a local author has gone viral, drawing more than 33 million views on TikTok and helping drive a surge in book sales.
The video, captured on a Ring doorbell camera, shows UPS driver Kyle Thurkauf delivering boxes of books to Damian Lewis, author of “Call Me First: A Man’s Blueprint to True Leadership at Home.” After noticing the number of packages, Thurkauf accepted a copy of the book when Lewis offered him one.
Days later, Thurkauf returned to Lewis’ home — despite not having a scheduled delivery — to tell him how much he loved the book.
“For him not to have a delivery for me that day, when he came back to tell me how good the book was and to ask me where to get it, it was like, I feel like I made it at that point,” Lewis said.
The interaction quickly gained traction online, with tens of millions of views and thousands of comments. Lewis said the attention directly translated into more than 9,000 copies sold since the video went viral, calling the impact life changing.
“I feel blessed beyond anything I could ever expect,” he said. “I almost feel like I don’t deserve it, but I’m so welcoming of everything that has happened.”
Thurkauf said he hopes to bring kindness to every customer.
“Provide a close, meaningful relationship with each and every one of them with respect and kindness and gratitude,” he said. “That’s exactly the kind of service that I hope to provide when I’m at work.”
He said the book and the experience inspired him both as a father and as he begins his small business, Preservation Pantry, with fellow UPS driver Drew DiGiovanni.
“It’s just so great seeing a bunch of hardworking men come together in entrepreneurship,” DiGiovanni said. “Being able to support each other and help each other grow, I feel like it’s what we need right now.”
